Social
' ' What is Social Media? Social media is defined as “forms of electronic communication through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content.” It is an instrument of communication, like the newspaper or a radio broadcast, only it is used socially. History of Social Media After the telephone and radio were invented, technology started changing very rapidly. In the 1940s the first supercomputer was invented. The first forms of internet were created in the 1960s. One of these was called CompuServe. This allowed people to share files and access news and events. It was the first time that most people had experienced true interaction with people other than physically being with that person. By the 1980’s, home computers were becoming more and more common. One of the first recognizable social media sites was called Six Degrees. It was created in 1997 and lasted until 2001. This enabled people to create a profile for themselves and make friends with other users on the site. In 1999, the first blogging sites became popular and they are still popular among people today. After this invention of blogging, social media started becoming more widely used. In the early 2000s, over 100 million people had access to the internet and it became common for people to be engaged socially online. People started using social media sites such as MySpace and LinkedIn, and photo sharing sites such as Photobucket and Flickr. Although MySpace was short lived, it was the social media site that helped jump start other sites that are used today, such as Facebook. LinkedIn is actually still used today as a way for professionals to network with each other. In 2004, Facebook was created by Mark Zuckerberg. It was originally created just for Harvard students, but Zuckerberg saw the potential that it had and decided to release this service to the world. Youtube came out in 2005, which allowed people to share videos online. This is still the most popular video sharing site that exists and paved the way for other video sites and apps, such as Vine. In 2006, the popularity of text messaging inspired Jack Dorsey, Biz Stone, Noah Glass, and Evan Williams to create Twitter, which is a service that allows its users to send “tweets”, or messages to its followers that contain 140 characters or less. Today, Twitter has over 500 million users. Social Media Today Today, there are social media sites for just about everything, including videos, pictures, and even couponing. There are so many social media platforms that it would be impossible not to find one that would cater to every single person. Instagram caters to those who communicate best through pictures, Spotify caters best to those want to share their music, and Twitter is perfect for those who communicate best using short bursts of information. Impact of Social Media on Society Social media has had a major impact on our society. It has revolutionized the way people communicate over the web in positive, as well as negative, ways. Some things it has affected include politics, business, socialization, productivity, and privacy. Politicians use media tools such as Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube to speak directly to voters without spending much time or money. It has become common for political campaigns to produce commercials and publish them for free on Youtube instead of paying for time on television or the radio. Twitter and Facebook are also being used in campaigns. It allows like-minded voters to share news and information with each other by either “sharing” on Facebook or “retweeting” on Twitter. They also use these tools to easily spread the news about fundraisers so they can make money for them very rapidly. Businesses are using social media to advertise their products, build relationships with their customers, and other functions. Communication with their customers allows businesses to understand the market. this would also allow businesses to fine-tune their products and strategies. Many firms and businesses encourage their customers to visit their social website pages more frequently. Social media is cheap and an effective way to enhance brand image and popularity. Social media is a cost effective way to reach potential employees. Businesses use social media to accomplish various business objectives. While being able to communicate with friends and acquaintances through the internet can be a good thing, it can also be a negative thing. Because social media is easily accessible, so many young adolescents and young adults are consumed with it. With cell phones and smartphones, anyone can walk around with unlimited access to social media in their pockets. Networking sites were created to build a technological bridge to connect people but as the years have progressed social media has become a social community that mimics real life aspects. Face-to-face interaction has been replaced with socialization over the internet. The more people use social media to interact with each other, the more susceptible they become to the social media contagion effect, which can lead to the possibility of starting to adopt certain behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs from those within their social network. When people become more social with their online communities than in person, it creates a problem. People have become so accustomed to this kind of interaction, that it is now normal. Other problems can arise from using social media such as cyber bullying. Over 50% of teenagers have victims of cyberbullying, and of those teens, only 1 in 5 have reported it to law enforcement. It can also negatively impact privacy. Revealing personal information on certain sites can make people more vulnerable to crimes like identity theft, stalking, and other things. If a possible employee posts something suggestive or embarrassing on a social media site, they are less likely to be hired by that company. Social media has it’s advantages and drawbacks, but whether or not it is a negative or positive thing ultimately depends on the user. Social media has changed people’s view on the world over the past few dec ades and is still continually changing today. Works Cited "The History of Social Media | History Cooperative." History Cooperative Atom. 2015. Web. 24 Sept. 2015. "What Impact Has Social Media Truly Had On Society." Business 2 Community. 13 Aug. 2014. Web. 28 Sept. 2015. "The History of Social Networking." Digital Trends. 4 Aug. 2014. Web. 27 Sept. 2015. "Social Media Affects on Socialization of Young Adolescents and Young Adults." Storify. 2015. Web. 25 September 2015.